Infant rolling prevention back panel to promote crawling

ABSTRACT

A rigid fabric covered foam back panel attaches to a back of an infant by straps wrapped around the infant and secured together in front or to a front panel. The back panel is wider than the body of the infant and extends down the full length of the torso to prevent the infant from rolling over from a prone position and thereby encourage the infant to crawl. A chest and belly pad is attached to a front of the infant to encourage the use of legs as well as arms in crawling. Arm and knee pads provide friction to enhance crawling.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to infant rolling prevention devices andin particular to an infant rolling prevention and crawling promotionback panel lightweight device that fits the infant much like a backpackwhich has a rigid foam core wider than the infant covered by softfabric, such as a multi-directional nylon SPANDEX® back panel and aterry cloth backed nylon NEOPRENE® chest/front panel, and held in placeon the infant by a system of straps with mating hook and loop fastenerclosures, the device being wider than the body of the infant andextending down the full length of the torso to prevent the infant fromrolling over from a prone (face down) position and thereby encourage theinfant to crawl.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

It is widely accepted that for normal development, children need tolearn how to crawl before they learn how to walk. Some children, boththose with some physical or mental impairment and those without suchissues, learn to roll in order to get around and then eventually learnto walk but skip crawling altogether, leading to developmental problems.Most prior art infant movement restriction devices are extraneoussurrounding the infant and not attached to the infant, and hence do notencourage crawling or any other movement. Some prior art devices areuncomfortable and potentially dangerous.

U.S. Patent application #20080256713, published Oct. 23, 2008 by Rozemaet al., shows a roll restricting device including: a support member,wherein the support member is configured to surround at least a portionof an individual, and further wherein the support member includes anouter surface, and an inner surface; a roll restriction member, whereinthe roll restriction member substantially precludes an infant fromrolling over; and optionally one or more roll restriction memberfastener(s), wherein the one or more restriction member fastener(s)releasably secures the roll restriction member to the support member.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,444, issued Mar. 19, 2002 to Parker, puts forth anapparatus for limiting body motion as a patient lies down includes a padshaped to prevent the patient from rolling over the pad. The pad isshaped so that it projects outwardly 3 inches or more from the patientwhen attached to the human body. The base of the pad contacts thepatient's skin or sleep clothes. The pad has sidewalls which make anangle of greater than approximately 35° degrees with respect to thebase. A removable, washable covering is placed on the pad. An attachmentmechanism associated with the pad and the covering attach the pad andcover to the human body. The attachment mechanism can be a hook-and-loopfastener, a sports bra type device, a series of straps, a series ofsnaps, or a series of hooks. In each instance, the pad can be positionedat several positions on the body, including positions to the right orleft of the patient's medial plane. More than one pad can also be usedto limit the body motion of a patient. One can be positioned on theposterior side of a patient and another can be positioned on an anteriorside of a patient. In this way, the patient motion may be limited tolying on one side rather than discouraging rest while in the supineposition.

U.S. Pat. No. 132,500, issued Oct. 22, 1872 to Sullivan, concerns a backwedge shaped pad with straps wrapping around the front of the body toprevent a sleeper from rolling onto the sleeper's back.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,238, issued Feb. 16, 1993 to Clute, discloses asupport pillow in two detachable main sections, each section having anelongated right triangular wedge-shaped resilient foam member eachcovered with fabric with a portion of the fabric extending outward todefine a flexible rectangular panel. The top surface of one rectangularpanel, and the bottom surface of the other rectangular panel are affixedwith elongated hook and loop fastening strips which allow adjustableoverlapping affixment of the two rectangular panels one to another,thereby allowing affixing together of the two main sections of thepillow. When affixed together, the two sections of the support pillowdefine an open-ended and open-top channel with the rectangular panelsand fabric covered foam members providing a roll-preventing flat bottom,and the fabric covered foam members additionally defining two spacedapart vertically oriented side walls of the channel. The hook and loopattachment of the two rectangular panels provides for adjustability inthe distance between vertical side walls of the channel. An infant maybe placed on its side, on top of the overlapped rectangular panels withthe vertical side walls of the support pillow positioned snugly againstthe chest and back of the infant, with the infant's torso within thechannel. The infant's head extends out one open end of the channel, andhis legs extend out the outer oppositely disposed open end of thechannel. The support pillow assists in stabilizing and maintaining theinfant comfortably in a lateral sleeping position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,669, issued Sep. 20, 1994 to Neviaser et al.,indicates a double wedge pillow and strap device to retain an infantpositioned on its side between two pads to restrain its movement duringrest time or sleeping. A strap passed around the infant and under thearms maintains the infant's position with respect to the pads. In oneembodiment, a diaper-like holding device is secured to the infant andthe pads attached thereto. In another embodiment, the pads arepositioned on a support member and the infant is positioned on its sidebetween the pads.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134 issued Nov. 16, 1993 to Matthews, claims aportable pillow for support of an infant, toddler or young child. Theupper and lower surfaces are rounded, resulting in a generally tubularshape, tapered at the ends and curved in an oval so that the taperedends engage one another when the pillow is not in use. The pillow isgenerally concave with respect to a vertical axis of symmetry, and sincethe left and right sides are symmetrical, the infant body is providedwith sufficient pressure and vertebral support that he or she isprevented from rolling over when placed in the center well of thedevice. The pillow also provides anatomically correct support along thevertebral column of a toddler or young child. This support isaccomplished by firm, resilient padding and thus minimizes vertebralstrain for all ages.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,828, issued Feb. 2, 1993 to Alivisatos, provides amachine washable wedge shaped support structure formed from a fabricenvelope loosely filled with lightweight, preferably polystyrene, beadswhich shape it. The fabric may have a non-skid surface to resist slidingin use. The wedge conforms to a patient's or infant's body. Whencompressed, the fabric envelope and beads lock into a roll-preventingsupport structure. One alternate version has a stabilizing panelextending from the pointed end of the wedge on which a patient lies.Another version has a connecting panel between two opposing triangularshaped wedges. It provides roll preventing support for a pregnant womanand doubles as an anti-roll pad for infants.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,719, issued Sep. 21, 1993 to Ott, shows aninflatable support for a human torso which has the general form of acatamaran, and which provides a tunnel extending longitudinally of thesupport within which additional supporting members can be confined,whereby to provide for adjustability of the support in dependence on therequirements of the user.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,641,283, issued Jan. 5, 2010 to Rumack, describes aninsert for protecting the breathing airway of an infant conforms to theincline angle of an infant seat, such as a car seat, high chair,stroller, or jogger. Preferably the insert is hinged so it can be usedin an infant seat or laid flat for use on a changing table or other flatsurface. In use, two side rolls contact the infant to prevent it frommoving sideways. A bottom roll prevents slouching in the seat andsupports the infant's legs when laid flat. Preferably, the bottom rollis removable so the insert may be used with larger infants who do notneed the provided support. An adjustable shoulder roll extends betweenthe side rolls and can be moved up or down for proper placement behindthe infant's shoulders. The shoulder roll compensates for the infant'srearward-elongated head, keeping it in a natural position to avoidcompromising the airway. The rolls are preferably made of memory foamand covered by machine-washable fabric.

U.S. Patent application #20100066138, published Mar. 18, 2010 by Rumack,provides a child positioning insert including a frame with a firstcolumn and a second column, where the first and second columns arepositioned vertically. The first column has a first guide and the secondcolumn has a second guide, where the first and second guides extendalong a portion of the length of each column. A shoulder roll connectsto the frame via the first column and the second column, so that theshoulder roll is perpendicular to the first column and the secondcolumn. The shoulder roll has a backing that connects to the first guideand to the second guide such that the backing can move vertically alongthe first and second guides. A head support member connects to the framein a position above the frame and above the shoulder roll, so that thehead support member includes a first support member to substantiallyprevent lateral motion of a person's head in a first direction and asecond support member to substantially prevent lateral motion of theperson's head in a second direction.

What is needed is a safe comfortable light weight roll prevention deviceworn by an infant to prevent rolling and encourage crawling.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a fabric covering stifflightweight foam panel worn on the back of an infant as a safe andcomfortable easy-to-put-on light weight roll prevention device worn byan infant to prevent rolling and encourage crawling.

In brief, a lightweight device fits the infant much like a backpackwhich has a rigid Styrofoam core and is held into place with a system ofstraps with mating hook and loop fastener closures, the straps attachedtogether or to a front panel on the front of the infant. The device iswider than the infant's body and extends beyond the infant's sides toprevent the infant from rolling over from a prone (face down) position.Without the option of rolling over the infant is thus encouraged tocrawl.

Arm and leg grip pads may be worn to improve traction and thus furtherencouraging the infant to crawl.

If the infant at this point only crawls forward by pulling with his orher arms a removable chest/belly pad of different thickness for heightrequirement can be added to encourage the infant to bring the kneesforward and under the body in order to move in a full crawl with botharms and legs.

The flat shape of the back of the device makes putting it on the infanteasy. The device is laid on its back on a flat surface and the infant isthen placed on the device face up. The straps are then closed around thefront of the infant and the infant is placed prone (face down) on asuitable surface with the device now firmly attached. Since the weightof the infant is on the front of the device, the use of mating hook andloop fasteners provide for maximum comfort for the infant without hardfasteners which might irritate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other details of the present invention will be described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only byway of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in whichdrawings:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of one embodiment of the infant rollingprevention and crawling promotion back panel device of the presentinvention mounted on the back of an infant with the infant in a lyingposition on the infant's back;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the infant rolling prevention andcrawling promotion back panel device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top end view of the infant rolling prevention and crawlingpromotion back panel device of FIG. 1 showing an additional chest/bellypad mounted on the front straps;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the infant rolling prevention andcrawling promotion back panel device of FIG. 1 mounted on the back of aninfant with the infant in a crawling position;

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of another embodiment of the infant rollingprevention and crawling promotion back panel device of the presentinvention mounted on the back of the infant and a front panel mounted onthe front of the infant with the infant in a lying position on theinfant's back;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the infant rolling prevention andcrawling promotion back panel device of FIG. 5 showing an attachedfabric with the straps to connect to the front panel;

FIG. 7 is a top end view of the infant rolling prevention and crawlingpromotion back panel and front panel device of FIG. 5 showing anadditional optional chest/belly pad mounted on the front panel andstraps;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the infant rolling prevention andcrawling promotion back panel device of FIG. 5 mounted on the back ofthe infant and the front panel on the front of the infant with theinfant in a crawling position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-8, a rolling prevention device 10 worn on the back of aninfant promotes crawling in infants.

A rigid roll prevention back panel 20 is worn on a back of an infant, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 4. An additional soft front panel 27 for receivingthe attaching straps 21, 22, and 23 is shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8. Theback panel 20 extends beyond the sides, shoulders, and arms of theinfant to prevent the infant from rolling sideways to encourage crawlingrather than rolling as a means of translational movement by the infant.The rigid panel is fabricated of a light weight rigid foam rectangularplanar structure covered by a fabric.

A plurality of straps including a pair of shoulder straps 21, a waiststrap 22, and a crotch strap 23, extending from the rigid panel 20around the infant and secured together in the front of the infantpreferably by mating hook and look fasteners, for attaching the rigidpanel to the back of an infant and alternately, the straps attach to afront panel 27 in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, to create a vest-like garment whichdoes not move around on the body of the infant. The plurality of straps21, 22, and 23 wrap around the infant and attach together in front ofthe infant so that an infant may be placed back down on the rigid panel20 positioned on a horizontal surface with the infant face up and theplurality of straps 21, 22, and 23 wrapped around the infant andremovably attach together or to a front panel 27 on the front of theinfant. When the infant wearing the rigid panel 20 is placed faced downan a horizontal surface, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the infant cannotroll over, but the infant can crawl for translational movement on thehorizontal surface.

In FIGS. 3 and 7, in cases when an infant is moving by using only thearms, a removable chest and belly covering pad 24 may be attached to thestraps 21, 22, and 23 and front panel 27 in front of the infant toencourage the infant to bring the knees forward and under the body inorder to move in a full crawl with both arms and legs.

Arm grip pads 25 and knee grip pads 26 may also be worn on the arms andlegs of the infant to improve traction and further encourage the infantto crawl, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8.

The rolling prevention device 10 of the present invention provides thelightweight back rigid roll prevention panel 20, which fits the infantmuch like a backpack and which has a rigid foam core covered by softfabric, such as a multi-directional nylon SPANDEX® back panel andpreferably a terry cloth backed nylon NEOPRENE® chest/front panel 27,both held in place on the infant by a system of straps 21, 22, and 23with mating hook and loop fastener closures, the device being wider thanthe body of the infant and extending down the full length of the torsoto prevent the infant from rolling over from a prone (face down)position and thereby encourage the infant to crawl.

In use, the lightweight roll prevention panel 20 fits the infant muchlike a backpack which has a rigid foam core covered by soft fabric andis held into place with a system of straps 21, 22, and 23 attachedtogether or to a front panel 27 in front of the infant preferably withmating hook and loop fastener closures. Since the weight of the infantis on the front of the device, the use of mating hook and loop fastenersprovide for maximum comfort for the infant without hard fasteners whichmight irritate. The roll prevention panel 20 is wider than the infant'sbody and extends down at least the length of the torso to prevent theinfant from rolling over from a prone (face down) position, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 8. Without the option of rolling over the infant is thusencouraged to crawl.

Arm grip pads 25 and knee grip pads 26 may be worn to improve tractionand thus further encouraging the infant to crawl.

If the infant only moves forward by pulling with his or her arms aremovable chest/belly pad 24 can be added to encourage the infant tobring the knees forward and under the body in order to move in a fullcrawl with both arms and legs.

The flat shape of the back of the roll prevention panel 20 makes puttingit on the infant easy. The roll prevention panel 20 is laid on its backwith the straps up on a flat surface and the infant is then placed onthe device face up. The straps are then closed around the front of theinfant and the infant is placed prone (face down) on a suitable surfacewith the device now firmly attached, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8.

It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by wayof illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that variousmodifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as claimed.

1. A rolling prevention device to promote crawling in infants, thedevice comprising: a rigid roll prevention rigid panel worn on a back ofan infant, the panel extending beyond the sides, shoulders, and arms ofthe infant to prevent the infant from rolling sideways to encouragecrawling rather than rolling as a means of translational movement by theinfant, the rigid panel comprising a light weight rigid foam rectangularplanar structure covered by a fabric; a plurality of straps extendingfrom the rigid panel for attaching the rigid panel to a back of aninfant, the plurality of straps wrapping around the infant and attachingtogether in a front of the infant so that an infant is placed back downon the rigid panel positioned on a horizontal surface with the infantface up and the plurality of straps wrapped around the infant andremovably attach to a front of the infant so that when the infantwearing the rigid panel is placed faced down an a horizontal surface,the infant cannot roll over, but the infant can crawl for translationalmovement on the horizontal surface.
 2. The device of claim 1 furthercomprising a soft front panel to receive the plurality of straps andform a vest-like garment.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the pluralityof straps are attached by mating hook and loop fasteners.
 4. The deviceof claim 1 further comprising a removable chest and belly covering padattached to the straps in front of the infant to encourage the infant tobring the knees forward and under the body in order to move in a fullcrawl with both arms and legs.
 5. The device of claim 1 furthercomprising arm grip pads and knee grip pads worn on the arms and kneesof the infant to improve traction and further encourage the infant tocrawl.